Improved blank for bank-notes, bills



P. HAN N AY. BLANK FOR BANK NOTES, BILLS, (Sac.

No. 15,486. PATENTED AUG. 5, 1856.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER HANNAY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVED BLANK FOR BANK-NOTES, BILLS, 80C.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 15,486, dated August 5,1856.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PETER, HANNAY, ofWashington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certainnew and useful improvement in the production of blanks for bank-notes,bills, checks, treasury bonds, scrip, stock-certificates, &e., toprevent counterfeiting; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in animprovedmethodotproducingblanksfor banknotes and other like purposes byfirst producing a photographic or other picture by the action of lighton chemically-prepared paper suitable for any such purpose, and thenprinting upon this paper, over the picture, by copper-plate orotherwise, the form of the note,

certificate, &c., which is then ready to be signed by the properofficials.

The photographic picture is first taken by the camera obseura on plateglass which has been previously coated with albumen or collodion,according to the process well known to photographists. This picture iswhat is termed by artists a negati\'e'that is to say, the reverse asregards light and shade of a true picture when held against the light.After the picture has been fixed in the usual way it'is varnished overwith transparent varnish to preserve it. Apositive pictuge is then takenfrom this negative by placing a sheet of paper previously washed with asolution of nitrate of silver, 850., and dried in a dark room in closecontact with the plate and exposing it to the rays of the sun from oneto five minutes, according to circumstances. The picture is then fixedand washed out well with pure water to prevent it fading. Whenthoroughly washed and dried any number of negatives on glass may betaken from it and arranged side by side in a frame to the size of asheet of bank-note paper... In this way the photographs maybe printed insheets very rapidly, which, when washed and dried, are ready to receivethe copper-plate or other impression to designate the name and characterof the note or other certificate. This is but one of a variety ofprocesses well known to photographic artists for producing very similarresults, and although 1 consider it the best adapted to this purpose, 1do not intend to confine myself to this mode of producing thephotograph. For example, let us suppose the photographic design to bethe portraits of the entire firm or the president and cashier ofa bankin group. Over this is printed at fine copper-plate, lithograph, orother impression of the name and style of the firm'and form of note orother certificate and afterward signed by the proper offieials. If anattempt is made. to duplicate this by photography or other like process,the printed and written parts will be photographed also, which will bevery easy of detection, as it will not resemble the impression ofcopper-plate, &C., either in color or appearance, and so with thesignatures. If an attempt should be made to copy this photographicpicture byau artist with the pencil for the purpose of producing from itduplicates by photography, it is argued that the most skillful paintercan never pro duce a duplicate of nature or of the results of nature soperfectly as not to be distinguishable therefrom; and even if theparties forming the group were to sit for a second picture, it would beimpossible to arrange them in precisely the same position, under theeffect of the same light, and to produce a picture of corresponding sizewith likeness of the same expression as inthe original. Itthereforeappears that the only way to duplicate the genuine note isfirst to extract all the copperplate or other printing, together withthe signatures, dates, 850., and then to photograph from the nakedpicture; but when we considerthe character of that picture we see at.

once the impossibility of accomplishing the result in this way. Thepaperhaving been chemically prepared to receive the effect of therays oflight, that effect is so sensitive to the action of either alkalies oracids as to render it impossible to remove the one without destroyingthe other.

If desirable, for f urther security, theink used maybe of differentcolors; butI do not intend to confine myself to any peculiar character,quality, or color of the ink. 7

Having thus described my invention, its effects and advantages, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the arts of photography and printing or writing, orboth, in the manner substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of July,1856.

Witnesses: P. HANNAY.

WM. M. SMITH, ARTHUR G. WATKINS.

